Shipping-container.



G. W. SMITH.

SHIPPING CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1914.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

FIG. 1

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

GEORGE W. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHIPPING-CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Shipping-Containers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to'provide a construction of case orcontainer which is especially adapted for mailing purposes under theparcels post regulations, wherein goods must be so Wrapped or covered asto permit examination thereof; and more particularly, my object is toprovide an inexpensive container of paste-board which shall havedefiniteshape, and furnished with a cover portion arranged to be so detachablyconnected in sealed position that the sealing or locking means will formno obstruction or projection upon the package, and yet permit an easyremoval for releasing the cover for examination of the interiorcontents.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a container body or case with asealing cover suitably attached thereto, and flanged in such manner asto be depressed within the boundary walls of the case or container, and

combined with metallic locking means extending through the outer wall ofthe case or container and the flanged portion of the cover, andprojecting into the space between the cover and the outer boundary edgeof the case or container, whereby the said fastener is shielded and solocated as not to be unintentionally detached during the ordinaryhandling of the package in its transmission, the metallic fastener beingof such construction that it may readily be withdrawn for allowing thecover to be lifted for purposes of examining the contents, and theneasily replaced to positively seal the package.

My invention also consists in providing the case or container in tubularform with sealed ends, one of said ends being sealed by a detachablecover held in position by detachable metallic fasteners and attachableat different depths within the container, said metallic fastenerspassing through apertures in the side walls of the container and inoutwardly flanged portions of the cover.

My invention also comprehends details of construction, which togetherwith the features above specified, will be better understood byreference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of acontainer other modified form of my invention, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the same adjacent to the cover end.

2 is the body of the case or container and is shown as formed of acard-board tube which may be made in any suitable manner. This tube issealed at one end by a flanged disk 4 which may be secured in positionin any suitable manner, either by paste or by detachable fasteners 5,such as are known as McGill fasteners. This part 4 constitutes thebottom of the container and may be detachably or otherwise formed in anysuitable manner, as under ordinary circumstances its removal is notnecessary for legal inspection of the contents. The opposite end of thecontainer is provided with a cover 6 which is provided with an outwardlydirected flange 6", so that when in position within the end of thecointainer, it provides a shallow chamber or space within the maximumlength of the package. This cover is detachably secured in place by theMcGill fasteners 7 which extend through slots 7 in the container, andthrough suitable slots 6 in the cover. The heads of the McGill fastenersare preferably arranged upon the outer surface of the container, whilethe shanks extend into the shallow space within the cover and may bebent laterally, as inclicated in Fig. 3, to secure the cover inposition. If it is desired to examine the contents of the case, it isonly necessary to withdraw one of these McGill fasteners and lift theedge of the cover, as indicated in Fig. 3; after which the cover may bereplaced and refastened with the same metallic fastener without theleast inconvenience. If, for any reason, it is desirable to withdraw thecontents, the other metallic fastener may also be removed and the entirecover withdrawn so as to expose the full entrance into the container. Asindicated, I have shown a number of apertures 7, and to preventweakening of the container'body by arranging them in the same straightline, I have arranged them on a diagonal, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,so that the cover may be placed to different depths within the containerto suit the goods packed and prevent undue looseness. In the morepreferred construction, I prefer to cover the end of the container witha paper band 9 pasted in place and having thereon printed marks 10 toindicate the positions of the apertures 7, so that they may be locatedin applying the fastener. Ihe use of this paper is a refinement of thegeneral invention, as is also the employment of a plurality of apertures7 to permit various positions of the cover within the container.

While this container is shown as a cylin der and is more cheaply made inthat form, where considerable strength is required, I do not restrictmyself to any particular cross section, as will be evident by referenceto Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, showing other forms of my invention. In Figs.4 and 5, for example, the container 11 is rectangular in form and may bemade of paste-board and with the cover 12 so shaped as to be providedwith the flanges 14, 14 and 14: the flange 146* being in this instanceshown as integral at 13 with the side of the container, so that it is ineffect hinged thereto. The flange 14 is provided with two apertures 15which aline with the apertures 16 in the side of the container. lVhenthe cover 12 is pushed into the open end of the container, the flangesfit up against the sides and ends of the container; and metallicfasteners 17 similar to those before referred to, are pushed through theapertures and the prongs of the fasteners spread to seal the cover inposition. In this case, the fasteners are all at one side, but it ismanifest that these fasteners may also be applied at other places aroundthe cover, if so desired.

In the particular illustration in Fig. 6, I have shown a constructionvery closely approximating that of Figs. 4 and 5, but in this case theflanges 14 and 14 have been dispensed with. More specifically referringto Figs. 6 and 7, 18 is a rectangular case or container and 19 is thecover thereof. This cover is an extension of one side of the box andhinged thereto, as at 20. The free end of the cover is turned upwardlyto form a flange 21, and this flange is fastened in place against theside of the case or container by a metallic fastener 22 as in theprevious cases. By removing the fastener, the cover may be turned upwardto expose the interior and may be readily replaced and fastened.

In all of these examples of my invention, the container or body issealed with a detachable cover which fits down into the body in suchmanner as to provide one or more outwardly extending flanges and a Spaceoutside of. the coverand within the external boundary of the containerinto which the prongs of the metal fasteners may project and beclenched, and thereby shield it against being caught in other packagesor bent during transportation so as to release the cover. Broadlyconsidered, I am providing a container with a cover portion having anoutwardly directed flange fitting against the side wall of the containerand through which side wall and flangea detachable metallic fastener isemployed for detachably securing the cover is position; and in allcases, the flange 0f the cover acts as a shield for the prongs of themetallic fastener. While it is desirable to employ as few fasteners asare necessary, I do not restrict myself to the number of fastenersemployed, as one or more may be used as found most convenient andsatisfactory to suit the praticular size or character of the package.

WVhile I prefer the well known construction of McGill fasteners as themetallic fastening devices, I do not restrict myself to these particularmetallic devices, as the metallic means of fastening may be considerablyvaried to suit the requirements of my invention. In the preferred form,they are means which extend through the flange of the cover and body andare capable of being bent into locking position. Such devices may bemade in any suitable manner.

iVhile I have shown my invention in the form which I have found mostsatisfactory in commercial usage, I do not restrict myself to the minordetails, as these may be modified without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is g 1. As an improved article of manufacture,a. container for transporting merchandisc and permitting its readyexamination during transportation, consisting of a body portion havingan open end, combined with a cover formed of a transverse part outwardly flanged and said flange fitting against the inner face of theside wall portion of the container, said cover hingedly connected tosaid side wall portion and of shallow depth so as to be capable of beingturned outwardly at one side for examining the contents of the bodywithout disconnecting it, and a separate metallic fasteningdeviceextending through the side wall portion of the container and the flangedportion of the cover at a distance from the hinge part of the cover, andbent transversely against the inner face of the flange of the cover todetachably connect this portion of it to the container and normallyfastening devices extending through the apertures in the container bodyand the flanged portions of the cover and adapted to any of theplurality of apertures for holding the cover in detachable relationWithin the container body with capacity for adjustment to differentdepths therein.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. SMITH.

Witnesses R. M. HUNTER, E. W. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

